The Four Columns facts for kids
The Four Columns (called "Les Quatre Columnes" in Catalan) are four tall columns built in the Ionic order style. They were designed by an architect named Josep Puig i Cadafalch in Barcelona, Spain. They were first put up in 1919, right where the famous Magic Fountain of Montjuïc is today.
These columns were very important because they stood for the four red stripes on the senyera, which is the flag of Catalonia. They were meant to be a big symbol of Catalanism, a movement that celebrates Catalan culture and identity.
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Why the Columns Were Taken Down
Sadly, the columns were torn down in 1928. This happened during the time when Miguel Primo de Rivera was the dictator of Spain. He wanted to remove all public symbols of Catalan identity. This was especially important to him because the 1929 Universal Exposition (a big world fair) was going to happen on Montjuïc hill, and he didn't want any Catalan symbols to be seen.
For similar political reasons, another place on the same hill, Poble Espanyol (which means Spanish Village), got its name changed. It was originally going to be called Iberona, to honor the Iberians, who were some of the first people to live in what is now Catalonia. The nearby Plaça d'Espanya (Spain Square) also got its name for similar reasons.
Modern Columns at UAB
In 1999, the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) asked a famous sculptor named Andreu Alfaro to create four similar columns for its campus. Unlike the original columns, which were 20 meters tall, these new ones spiral upwards. They are made of red granite and stand between 25 and 40 meters high.
The Columns Are Rebuilt
After many years of hard work by groups who supported Catalan culture and the political party Esquerra Republicana, new columns were built. A copy of the original Four Columns was put up in 2010. They are very close to where the first ones stood and were built following Puig i Cadafalch's original plans.
Images for kids
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The demolition of the original columns
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The UAB Columns
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The old Four Columns
See also
In Spanish: Las Cuatro Columnas para niños
